US20020145097A1

US20020145097A1 - Support device for chairs set outdoors, in particular on grounds covered with grass

Info

Publication number: US20020145097A1
Application number: US10/119,043
Authority: US
Inventors: Mario Bruschi; Diego Discacciati
Original assignee: Drake Corp
Current assignee: Drake Corp
Priority date: 2001-04-10
Filing date: 2002-04-10
Publication date: 2002-10-10
Also published as: ITMI20010205V0; ITMI20010205U1

Abstract

There is provided a support device comprising shaped bodies (5) suitable for engagement with bottom ends (2 a, 3 a) of chairs (1), each of which has a coupling axis (6), a coupling cavity (7) extending along the coupling axis (6) and insertable on said bottom ends (2 a, 3 a) by pressure and in a removable manner, and a support face (8) expanded in a direction radial to the coupling axis (6), which face can be directly put in contact with the ground and rest thereon and which is provided with openings (10) to break the continuity of the ground-contact surface, and indentations (11) to avoid interferences when the chairs are stacked up.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a support device for chairs set outdoors, in particular on grounds covered with grass, of the type also adapted for chairs only used from time to time, on the occasion of outdoor parties and meetings for example, with subsequent clearing out of the spaces previously taken up.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART

It is known that chairs and the like, when they are made of a weatherproof material such as plastic material for example, are adapted to be set in lawns and gardens.

When the number of chairs is reduced and/or the same permanently stay in the open air either because they represent an ornament for a garden, or because they are continuously utilized, positioning generally occurs taking care to put the bottom ends of the chairs on solid-ground portions. This for the purpose of avoiding a gradual sinking of the chairs and formation of deep imprints in the ground, which will damage the lawn, if present.

These suitable precautions are not however practically possible when there is a great number of chairs to be positioned and above all when positioning takes place only occasionally, in case of parties and meetings held outdoors, with subsequent full clearing out of the previously-occupied spaces. In these cases it is often necessary to resort to suitable agencies hiring out the chairs necessary for the meetings.

This situation has negative consequences from different points of view. In fact even a single outdoor meeting may greatly damage both the lawn and a ground covered with grass or a garden due to the chair imprints on the ground.

The agencies hiring out chairs, in turn, receive back damaged chairs, at least as far as their surface is concerned and at all events chairs to be cleaned due to partial sinking into the ground.

Even when the ground is solid enough to avoid sinking, the lawn is damaged and the chairs are soiled with the squashed grass.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Under this situation, it is a general aim of the invention to remedy said drawbacks.

Within the scope of said general aim it is an important aim of the invention to provide a support device for chairs which is particularly efficient in protecting the ground from imprints, preventing the lawn from being damaged and avoiding damages and dirtiness to the used chairs.

Another important aim is to provide a support device that can be easily applied and removed and suitable for chairs of different sizes.

Another aim is to conceive a device of such a nature that the chair structure with which it is connected does not require to be modified, so that, when removed, said chairs can be used also indoors.

A further aim is to provide a device that due to its presence does not hinder stacking of said chairs when they are piled up to be returned or removed.

A still further aim of the invention is to provide a support device capable of withstanding stresses and fully reliable in terms of steadiness.

The specified aims are achieved by a support device for chairs set outdoors, in particular on grounds covered with grass, comprising a plurality of shaped bodies adapted to be fastened to the bottom ends of said chairs and each having a coupling axis, a coupling cavity extending along said coupling axis and removably insertable by pressure on one of said bottom ends, and a support face which is expanded in a direction radial to said coupling axis, which support face can be directly put in contact with the ground and rest thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Description of a device in accordance with the invention is now given by way of non-limiting example, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: [0015]
FIG. 1 shows a chair resting on a ground covered with grass and provided with the device, which carries another identical chair stacked thereon; [0016]
FIG. 2 is a plan view of a shaped body of the type applied to the ends of the front legs of chairs; [0017]
FIG. 3 is an elevation view in section of the shaped body in FIG. 2; [0018]
FIG. 4 is a plan view of a shaped body of the type applied to the rear legs of chairs; and [0019]
FIG. 5 is an elevation view in section of the shaped body shown in the preceding FIG. 4.[0020]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

With reference to the drawings, the support device in accordance with the invention is applied, by way of example, to a [0021] rigid chair 1 adapted to be stacked, of the type commercially known as “Chiavari” chair, from the place where this type of chair was first produced.
This type of chair susceptible of [0022] stacking 1 comprises, in known manner, a rear frame 2, a front frame 3 and a seat 4. The rear frame 2 is made up of two rear uprights defining a chair back at the upper part thereof and centrally engaging seat 4, whereas at the lower part thereof it defines first bottom ends 2 a. The front frame 3 consists of two front uprights on which seat 4 rests and which define second bottom ends 3 a. In each frame the uprights are rigidly connected with each other by several cross members. The frames are also rigidly connected with each other by seat 4 and by appropriate crosspieces.
A particular feature of these “Chiavari” chairs shown by way of example consists in that they are such shaped that they can be conveniently stacked up, as viewed from FIG. 1. [0023]
The support device in accordance with the invention comprises a plurality of [0024] shaped bodies 5, each of which can be applied to one bottom end 2 a, 3 a, of chair 1.
In detail, each [0025] shaped body 5 has a coupling axis 6 and a coupling cavity 7 extending parallel to the coupling axis 6 and of such a size that a bottom end of chair 1 can be fitted therein by pressure in a removable manner.
In order to promote fitting of the [0026] bottom ends 2 a, 3 a, the fitting-cavity bottom is pierced with a vent hole 7 a. Possibly this hole can also be used to fasten the shaped bodies 5 to the bottom ends of chair 1, by means of a screw having a large and flat head.
Each [0027] shaped body 5 has a support face 8 which is expanded in a direction radial to the coupling axis 6 and susceptible of being directly put in contact with and rest on the ground, in particular a ground covered with grass, identified by 9. Advantageously, the support face 8 has openings 10 adapted to break the continuity of the surface resting on the ground.
[0028] Openings 10 are preferably through holes of relatively wide sizes substantially avoiding the grass to be pressed by the support face 8. The vent hole 7 a too can partly operate like an opening to reduce grass compression.
[0029] Openings 10 can at all events take any shape and position in the support face 8. Another advantageous aspect of each shaped body 5 is connected with the fact that the coupling axis 6 is at an eccentric position with respect to the support face 8.
Practically each shaped [0030] body 5 has a side indentation or ablated portion 11 to avoid interferences with identical chairs when piled up. Therefore each shaped body 5 only extends outwardly of the overall plan dimensions of the chair with which it is connected, so that it does not hinder stacking.
The indentations or ablated [0031] portions 11 can be all of same shape, having the form of a sector of a circle, of the type shown in FIG. 4 for example, where the support face 8 substantially is a semicircle. If possible, however, indentations 11 can have more reduced sizes as shown in FIG. 2.
From a closely structural point of view, it should be pointed out that each of the [0032] shaped bodies 5 comprises a tube 12 internally defining the coupling cavity 7 and a bottom plate 13 integral with and perpendicular to one end of tube 12 and defining the support face 8 at the lower part thereof.
The [0033] tube 12 and bottom plate 13 are connected with each other also by union tabs 14 substantially perpendicular to the support face 8 and at least partly directed radial to the coupling axis 6. The union tabs 14 also define the edges of the indentation or ablated portion 11.
[0034] Openings 10 are formed in the bottom plate 13 between the union tabs 14. The outer edge of the bottom plate 13 is substantially continuous, because openings 10 are included between the edge itself and the coupling axis 6 and in addition said outer edge is made stiff by an annular edge wall 13 a directly connected to the union tabs 14.
In a further aspect of the invention, [0035] tube 12 is internally provided with flexible ribs 15 adapted to enable insertion by pressure of bottom ends 2 a, 3 a having different sizes in section.
As shown in chain lines in FIGS. 3 and 5, a [0036] tubular union element 16 can be also provided which is of a size matching that of one bottom end 2 a, 3 a and insertable by pressure in tube 12 from the outside.
Use of the support device is as follows. [0037]
The [0038] shaped bodies 5 can be stored separately from chairs 1 and are insertable thereon in case of need, with great simplicity and rapidity, by tight fit.
When the [0039] shaped bodies 5 are mounted, the support surface of the chairs is greatly enlarged and the greater weight distribution prevents the bottom ends of the chairs from driving into the ground.
It will be recognized that advantageously the [0040] shaped bodies 5 do not press or noticeably damage the lawn also due to the presence of openings 10 that on the one hand leave some grass portions completely clear and on the other hand avoid formation of net imprints, as far as the profile of same is concerned.
Neither do the [0041] shaped bodies 5 hinder stacking up of the chairs, by virtue of the ablated portions 11, and they can be used with chairs of different types or sizes, due to the presence of the tubular union elements or the flexible ribs formed in the central tube.
The invention achieves the intended purposes. [0042]
The device avoids the chairs driving into the ground and leaves free-grass areas at the inside of the support regions of the [0043] shaped bodies 5, so that the sight of a uniform bending of the grass is also avoided.
The device is suitable for, and can be easily applied to chairs of varying sizes and prevents them from being damaged and soiled. [0044]
When the [0045] shaped bodies 5 are removed the chairs can be also used indoors and in addition removal of the shaped bodies can also take place after said chairs have been taken away from the lawn, because said bodies do not hinder stacking up of the chairs when they have to be gathered together for return and transport.
The device consists of strong and reliable shaped bodies that cannot be damaged by the unevenness of the ground. [0046]

Claims

1. A support device for chairs set outdoors, in particular on grounds covered with grass, comprising a plurality of shaped bodies suitable for engagement with the bottom ends of said chairs and each having a coupling axis, a coupling cavity extending along said coupling axis and insertable on one of said bottom ends by pressure and in a removable manner, and a support face expanded in a direction radial to said coupling axis, which support face can be directly put in contact with the ground and rest thereon.

2. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support face has openings adapted to break the ground-contact continuity of said support face.

3. The device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said support face has an outer edge, said openings being formed between said outer edge and coupling axis.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3, wherein an edge wall is provided to make said outer edge stiffer.

5. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said support face is substantially shaped like a sector of a circle.

6. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling axis is located at an eccentric position with respect to said support face, to avoid interferences when said chairs are stacked up.

7. The device as claimed in claim 6, wherein each said shaped body has a side indentation.

8. The device as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of said shaped bodies comprises a tube internally defining said coupling cavity, and a bottom plate integral with and lying across an end of said tube and defining said support face.

9. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said bottom plate has a vent hole at said tube.

10. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein union tabs extending between said tube and bottom plate are provided.

11. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein each said shaped body comprises a side indentation confined by said union tabs, said side indentation avoiding interferences when said chairs are stacked up.

12. The device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said tube internally has flexible ribs adapted to enable insertion by pressure of said bottom ends of varying sizes.

13. The device as claimed in claim 5, wherein at least one union element of a size matching that of one said bottom end is provided, which union element is insertable by pressure in said tube.